Burnt toast and cancer: how strong is the evidence?

Should people be worried about the acrylamide health scare?

Earlier this year, there were headlines in the news claiming that overcooking starchy foods, like toast or potatoes, can increase cancer risk.

Acrylamide and cancer

A survey found that the UK population is frequently eating many foods that contain acrylamide.

When starchy foods are cooked until they are a dark brown colour, a compound called acrylamide is formed, which is a carcinogen. The Food Standards Agency recommend that we should avoid over-cooking starchy food to reduce our acrylamide intake, and reduce our cancer risk.1

Animal studies have shown a link between eating these overcooked foods that contain acrylamide and cancer risk, however, our research didn’t find any strong evidence for the link.

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